𝐅𝐥𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐫 (𝐆𝐱𝐆)

{𝐎𝐍𝐄} "𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐔𝐩"

Celine Mercade

My hand tightly grips against the silky fabric of my uniformal skirt, knuckles almost turning white with the pressure that I am applying.

This feeling flowing though me, I've never liked it. Simply because it makes me feel weak and vulnerable. "What are you so stressed about?" The faint voice of some girl next to me rings in my ears.

I tilt my head to the side, watching the teacher walk past me with exam papers in his hand. He's handing out the results already? Please not.

I painfully swallow.

"Our French exam." Finally speaking up, the girl next to me just scoffs. Her arms cross and she leans backwards in her chair, such move would usually belong to me.

A paper sliding across my desk instantly catches my attention. I don't dare to turn it around. "Well then, let me..-" My hand immediately hovers over the paper, not letting the girl next to me, Leah, grab hold of it first.

"Don't."

Her tongue clicks in response, carefully leaning away as she's told to.

Romantic language this, romantic language that. I don't like it. Future tenses or not, it's a nightmare altogether. Could be that I missed out on a year, no other explanation would fill the gaps of what has happened to my results.

Worst part of it, my father does not tolerate a 'B' nor 'C' in my report card again. Not in the master's degree year.

Everything needs to be perfect.

I'm going to need to face it, eventually. Rather get over it quickly. My hand shakily turns around the paper to be greeted with a number written in red.

79%

"..."

Okay. Not.. as bad as I anticipated it to be. Not great, though.

I slowly compose myself, turning around to face Leah. She gives me a tap on my back, understanding the situation which I am in with this grade.

"Why don't you ask that Hannah girl for..-" I shoot over a deadly glare, immediately making Leah go quiet. She should know how much I despise that girl for being better in stuff than I am.

Only a first year, Hannah Blanchard, some new girl who freshly moved here from France. Or so I heard, personally, I don't know? Not like I did my research or anything?

"I'll pass on that, thank you." I nod, giving off a sarcastic smile before standing up and walking up to the teacher's desk. I quickly hand in the graded exam paper, trying to forget about it already.

For my own sanity I don't even bother checking for the other's results.

"You're too stuck-up," Leah calls out a second after the bell rang. It takes me a moment to understand what she means by that. "Live a little!" She teases, throwing her arm over my shoulder.

Not amused with her, I shake my head and scoff. We both head outside to the football fields with hope that people are entertaining enough to play some game during our lunch break.

"I heard the younger classes have some tournament this afternoon." Leah finally speaks up, leaning against a wall next to the sports field. I confidently cross my arms, watching a group of girls run past us.

"Hannah's class, right?"

I ask, not like I would know. Or maybe I did overhear some students talk about it. I honestly can't quite remember.